Thorns to politicians for forgetting about struggling middle class

THORNS for the state of confusion surrounding the ‘fiscal cliff’ negotiations that has wage earners shaking their heads at unanticipated cuts in their take-home pay. Despite the immense amount of publicity and rhetoric surrounding the politics of the negotiations, little was said of what really happened. The Obama administration and Congress opted not to extend the two-year-old Social Security payroll tax holiday that put much-needed money into the pockets of working Americans. In January 2011, congressional leaders approved a payroll tax holiday that reduced tax on gross wages by 2 percent. Now, those taxes have reverted to 6.2 percent from 4.2 percent. So, a family who earns $50,000 annually will lose about $1,000 a year to increased taxes. More disturbing than the change is the lack of information that would prepare middle-class workers. We’re tired of hearing about how Congressional debate affects the balance of power; we need to hear how it affects our paychecks.

ROSES to three Pennsylvania legislators from Berks County who promised a local taxpayers group they would continue to fight for the elimination of property taxes when the Legislature convenes for its new session later this month. (The House returns Jan. 14; the Senate reconvenes Jan. 22.) State Sen. Judith L. Schwank, D-11th Dist., state Rep. David M. Maloney Sr., R-130th Dist., and state Rep. Mark Gillen, R-128th Dist., recently attended a two-hour meeting of the Daniel Boone Taxpayer Activists to give residents updates on their efforts in Harrisburg to get House Bill 1776 and Senate Bill 1400 to the floor for a vote. “My support for S.B. 1400 is as strong as it ever was,” Schwank said. “It looks like it is the only thing that will work and more people have had their eyes opened to the possibility. Also we need to look at reducing spending. There is a lot of duplication in schools and now more talk about sharing services and staff.” With the loss of longtime property tax reform advocate Tom Quigley, who lost his bid for re-election to a House seat last November, there was concern that property taxes would take a back seat in the Legislature. It’s up to taxpayers to make sure lawmakers continue to push for property tax reform.

THORNS to truck drivers who knock down utility poles, traffic lights and trees and keep driving. We had three incidents this week involving trucks and serious property damage but only one of the drivers took responsibility. Truck drivers are usually professional and have to deal with a lot of irresponsible drivers on the roads, but incidents like the ones we experienced in Pottstown and Royersford — where the drivers failed to stop or report the damage — give all truckers a black eye.